In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, we, the inventors, typically hybridize a large number of nectarine, peach, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of nectarine tree, which has been denominated varietally as "Ruby Sweet". The present variety was hybridized in 1992 by us in a cultivated area of our experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). It was the result of a first generation cross using Spring Bright (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,507) yellow flesh nectarine as the selected seed parent and June Pearl (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,360) white flesh nectarine as the selected pollen parent. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, we asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects.
The present variety is most similar to its seed parent, the Spring Bright Nectarine (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,507), by producing fruit that is large in size, very firm in texture, clingstone in type, and full red in skin color, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by blooming 1 week later, having reniform glands instead of globose, having a bitter kernel instead of sweet, and by producing fruit that matures 7 days later and is subacidic in flavor instead of acidic.
The present variety is similar to its pollen parent, the June Pearl (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,360), by producing clingstone fruit that is full red in skin color and subacidic in flavor, but is very distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is yellow in flesh color instead of white and that matures about 16 days later.